


The Path To Nonviolence

by attaccabottoni



Category: Naruto
Genre: Gen, Team Gai is so important
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-13
Updated: 2016-02-13
Packaged: 2018-05-20 04:00:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5990968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/attaccabottoni/pseuds/attaccabottoni
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When it is about individual teaching methods for ninjas, one mostly sees the effects of it on the students, that it usually doesn't cross the mind what the effect the training has on the teacher. Set during the timeskip.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Path To Nonviolence

**Author's Note:**

> Herein lies my Team Gai (and Kakashi) feels. Also, one of the things I learned from Naruto is that, if you want to write your characters in a meaningful conversation they need to have and one party is reluctant, the other party waits for the chance to do so when the reluctant party has fallen down somewhere (if not, exchange punches repeatedly until you both fall down) to get them into the mindset of listening to what you have to say.

To live in Konoha, it is par for the course to know about Maito Gai and his straightforward overconfidence. Living there long enough is to also know that he has the skills to back it up. Personally encounter him a couple of times is to be certain that his personality is completely off-putting if you can't handle it. That is why most of his fellow jounin understandably accept him, because they definitely can handle it.

And that is why Kakashi handles it with grace, because he knows that part of Gai's skill and personality is deflection, and Kakashi, who is an expert at it because his entire life is a deflection, has no problem recognizing it in others.

That is also why Kakashi is knocking on Gai's door right now.

"Ah, just a moment!"

Kakashi turns the knob and pushes the door open anyway, knowing that his chakra signature is one of the few that allows free rein into Gai's apartment.

"Rival, you're back! How was your mission?"

"Eh, could be better," he says offhandedly as he closes the door, marveling once again that Gai's neighbors think well enough of him that they don't mind the average volume of Gai's voice regardless of the time of the night. "How are your brats doing?"

"As fine as those in their wonderful Springtime of Youth can be!"

Kakashi thinks that lacked the flair and flowery superlatives that his hearing is used to being bombarded with, so he tosses his misgivings to the wind and sits down on the chair beside Gai's bed without waiting for the invitation. "And that's why you're lying down and can't even get up to answer your door?"

"Er--"

"I normally don't bother with doors, Gai," Kakashi reminds him to prove his point. "And I don't think I need to use the Sharingan to see that the way you're holding your body still is due to pain from chakra flow disruption." He narrows his eye. "What did you do?"

"Nothing that is not a natural consequence of giving it your all in training! It may not be something you are familiar with, as you are hip and modern in your training as with everything else, but I prefer the time-honored approach of--"

"What I am familiar with," Kakashi interrupts rudely, "is my friend who thinks I couldn't possibly have the contacts to get information as to how a certain training with a genius Hyuuga went down this afternoon, and that I won't hear about it as soon as I arrive from my mission."

This is what Kakashi cannot possibly be expected to handle with grace. Just because Gai's method of deflection is a carefully meted ignorance of facts, doesn't mean that Kakashi has to put up with it being expected of him as well. If Kakashi were to say directly to Gai, "I have nothing anchoring me to life and I would rather die ahead of you than find out what your ultimate technique looks like after it's done," Gai would just simply point out that there's so much of Kakashi that he can still offer and possibly challenge him to see the opportunities life still has for him. All the while looking at Kakashi like he is expected not to say that one of those opportunities could be witnessing yet another aftermath of a suicide disguising itself as martyrdom.

It's possible that Kakashi is so angry that he feels sick.

"Haven't you done this with Lee already? What are you even training Neji for that you feel the need to use your own body again to prove a point?"

Despite their admirable qualities that Gai would not shut up about once you get him going about them, Kakashi is aware of Gai's students' respective weaknesses: Neji, his fatalism (though his attitude about it has taken a better turn since the Chunnin Exams as proven by the reports from the Rescue Sasuke mission), and Tenten, her physical endurance (though her endurance for the personalities of her teammates and sensei makes her the most mature female of her age-mates). Lee, in a move that counts as smart as his teammates, makes his own multiple weaknesses so apparent that he gives his teammates room to grow, however it may seem to observers that he is monopolizing his sensei's attention. With Lee being upfront in making himself vulnerable, Neji and Tenten can work on their own insecurities in their own pace without needing it to be pointed out to them and be made a big deal of, the same way Lee's seems to be the forefront of their team training.

Kakashi also knows that everyone in Team Guy shares their sensei's temper, that when pushed, may take a turn for the violent. In a way, Gai's deflective ignorance helps him with dealing with Neji's coldness and Tenten's complaints, and continually have implicit trust and belief in them the way he needs to be loud, emotional and rough with Lee. Neji's and Tenten's respective deflections of fatalism and lack of endurance can also be the push they need towards creativity when their training is, essentially, how to prevent their teammate and sensei from having to kill themselves in excessive training or in the line of duty. For them to take on that responsibility without turning their backs on joy is something that can be considered breathtakingly courageous if Kakashi were to be honest with himself.

Behind the obvious ridiculousness, it makes them more free to reject other people's assumptions or use it to persevere towards their objective, especially faced with their opponents, each other, or their own selves.

And arriving at that thought is when Kakashi's rage deflates, because he really doesn't want to fight with Gai tonight.

"What matters," Gai starts to say, his voice honest but kind, like he acknowledges the pain Kakashi is feeling despite being bedridden by his own, "is that Neji has learned how to close the Gates with his Gentle Fist."

"How many gates did you have open?"

"Six."

"Why didn't you use the Morning Peacock?"

"I did!"

"I meant on Neji."

Gai looks as scandalized as he had first found out about the contents of Kakashi's favorite reading material. "And harm my precious student? With Lee and Tenten watching? Not only will the Hyuuga clan kill me in my sleep, but it will also make Lee and Tenten cry."

At least, Kakashi thinks sourly, this ensures that Neji and the rest of the Hyuuga will have more respect for Gai. He just wishes it didn't come at the cost of Gai's willingness to make his life into his best betting chip.

"You could have at least knocked him around a bit, his pride can take it."

"I don't know any hip and modern teaching methods you are advocating, Rival, but you were disappointed with me when you found out I was teaching forbidden techniques to my precious Lee, that I would hate to think how much more you would be if I hit my equally precious Neji with one."

Kakashi's thoughts go from 'I can't believe he hasn't forgotten that,' to 'I can't believe he didn't take that golden teachable moment to bring Neji down a peg or two.' Instead, he shrugs and says, "You really think Lee wouldn't enjoy a glimpse of a future where he can see himself in you winning against his rival?"

"My students don't need that kind of rivalry. What is the point of competition if it's only about winning, and not pushing each other to be better?" Gai makes a wry smile. "Tenten would sooner throw her heaviest weapons at their heads than tolerate that kind of behavior."

"I suppose that's fair," Kakashi murmurs. He gets up and stretches. "What do you have to eat around here?" He throws a sharp glance at Gai's bright expression. "And by that, I don't mean leftover super hot curry."

Gai snaps his mouth shut with a click, and looks appropriately sheepish.

Kakashi gives a put-upon sigh. "I suppose I'll come up with something. Tell me where you are hiding your non-curry ingredients, then you can entertain me with how you managed to limp home without alerting your brats that you practically can't move your pinky finger."

**Author's Note:**

> Neji has to have practiced the [Eight Gates Crumbling Attack](http://naruto.wikia.com/wiki/Last_Resort:_Eight_Gates_Crumbling_Attack), and I don't think Gai will allow Lee to volunteer if he is still undergoing recovery.
> 
> This is the ending that I wanted to write if the characters cooperated:
> 
>  
> 
>   
> 


End file.
